The Land Of The Rising Sun Doesn't Take A Shine To Apple Ads

Steve Jobs is discovering that in Japan at least, they like the guy on the left. A lot.

Aside from the UK, Apple also re-shot the commercials for Japan. And just as any smart person would expect, Apple is facing a little bit of a backlash there as well. It's a pretty commonly accepted axiom among the advertising world that direct comparisons of products - especially when made in a disparaging way - are often looked down upon in Japan. Information Architects Ltd. (a Tokyo-based brand consultant agency) founder Oliver Reichenstein told the WSJ that "In Japan you're considered particularly dumb and obnoxious if you're caught bragging about your strengths, and smart and nice if you play them down."